Modular and attritable equipment must be a priority: US military
US Air Force discusses acquisitions and the “valley of death” for new technologies at the Emerging Technologies for Defense conference. (Photo: author)
Senior officers and representatives from the US Army, US Air Force and US Navy emphasised the need to expedite acquisition projects for systems and platforms that are more modular. They also highlighted that the loss of equipment is acceptable.
The 2025 Emerging Technologies for Defense conference in Washington, DC, organised by the National Defense Industrial Association, featured US military officers, government officials and representatives from the defence industrial complex discussing the future of combat and new acquisition strategies of the US armed forces.
One message that came through was that strategising decades into the future is no longer practical. “The days of the glossy books with visions of the US Army in 2048 are over,” summarised David Meyer, director of futures integration at the US Futures and Concepts Center, Army Futures Command. He explained that “the pace of the changing
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